I would be a bad seabird scientist if I didn’t advocate for our manu moana in the Bird of the Year competition. I’m also a sad seabird scientist, because if you look at the birds that are included in the competition, it’s really not at all representative of our complement of species here in Aotearoa.

Whenua Hou diving petrels / kuaka were kicked out this year because there were “too many petrels”. Sorry to say it, whoever made that decision, but Aotearoa has more seabirds than land-birds by a good margin. We’re the world hotspot for seabird species – petrels, penguins, shags, gulls, terns, the list goes on. And yet, they’re the birds that most people know the least about.

There are roughly 87 species of seabird in Aoteaoroa. Nowhere else in the world has that diversity of seabird species. There are 14 seabirds in the Birds of the Year competition (out of 77). We’re not quite doing justice to the diversity of beautiful endemic species here, are we? Aotearoa is home to eleven species of shag – but only one makes it into Bird of the Year. Aotearoa is home to twelve species of albatross – Bird of the Year has one.

I know we can’t have every species in Bird of the Year, that would split the vote so far as to be meaningless. But we could do much better at representing our most diverse – and most endangered – group of birds. The first step for getting people engaged to care for and protect these birds is for them to know about them. So why should you Vote Toroa? You can vote for 5 manu, and I’d love for more votes for any of our seabirds, but the Antipodean albatross is my pick for #1.

The Antipodean albatross is a great spokes-bird for all of our manu moana. They’re critically endangered, at-risk from fisheries bycatch throughout the Pacific. Like many seabirds, they travel huge distances over the ocean during their non-breeding season. They connect the oceans with the land, by bringing marine nutrients back to the islands where they breed. And there’s nothing more impressive than watching an albatross ride storm-tossed ocean gales.

They’re a good gateway seabird into the world of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, of which Aotearoa has a dazzling diversity. I feel super lucky to work with these birds, and to have been able to visit them their island homes. But with predator control and habitat restoration, they are making their way back to the mainland in places. If we let them, they can be more a part of our daily lives. They can reconnect our forests with the ocean, bring marine nutrients back to land that will let plants, invertebrates, reptiles and even land-birds flourish.

I want you to vote toroa, and get curious about these 87 seabird species that call Aotearoa home. Of all of the seabirds in the competition, I think they have the best shot at making #1, like hoiho/Yellow-eyed penguins did a few years back. More press for seabirds = more interest, more advocacy, and hopefully more $$ for their conservation. This week we published a big report of the State of our Seabirds in northern Aotearoa – it’s a mixed bag, and there’s lots of work to be done to protect them. They face many, many threats to their survival, both at-sea and on land.

The rest of this post is dedicated to images of some of the manu moana I’ve been lucky enough to spend time with, to showcase that, yes, there are too many petrel species – and that is awesome. We are so lucky to have these birds, and we could show them a bit more love.